How We Train

The training regimen is precisely that of judo, since Kawaishi jujitsu is based upon judo. The success of the the judo training approach is very largely the foundation of its enormous success as both a martial art and an olympic sport.

Technical Instruction
Technical instruction in the various skills of jujitsu, it`s seemingly risky throws and spirited close quarters grappling is carried out by coaches qualified to teach these techniques in a manner which minimises all forseeable risk and allows a student to confront daunting techniques in a step by step fashion at a pace which suits them. Coaches must refresh their instructional skills regularly to maintain their endorsement and keep abreast of the latest teaching and sport science research. Coaches typically hold a black belt in both Judo and Jujitsu.

Randori
"Free practice" or randori is the habit of players to train with a cooperative partner in a free form manner such that techniques can be built and refined against a creative opponent yet remain free of any notion of "winning". Randori can be correlated somewhat to the habit of tennis players "hitting up" or footballers experimenting with set plays with their team mates offering token resistance or controlled pressure rather than determined defenses and full bodied tackles. When players begin to understand the importance of "not winning", randori becomes an extremely valuable tool for rapid improvement. Frequent randori tends to mark both Kawaishi Jujitsu and Judo apart from most other martial arts which do not generally utlilise randori (although there are some important exceptions) as a major training regime.

Kata
Informal Kata - "repetition" expressed in pre-arranged drills or Uchi Komi, a common method of training in most judo and Kawaishi Jujitsu clubs and indeed most sports is the habit of performing numerous repetitions of simple technique components until they are instinctive.

Formal Kata - there are 7 official Kodokan Kata and a number of additional widely accepted katas used in Judo and Kawaishi Jujitsu to instill a deep understanding of etiquette, philosophy, foundation skills, throwing and grappling skills and historical and modern self defence. Since it is very easy to misunderstand the significance of Kata in the early stages it is not the common practice to expect junior students or novice seniors to indulge in kata. However from Sankyu onwards kata is an essential and intregal part of the complete training regime. Of the seven official kata, 4 are of particular prominence since they are either a requirement of grading or a critical tool for teaching difficult to grasp concepts - they are:- Nage No Kata (forms of throwing). Katame No Kata (forms of grappling), Ju No Kata (forms of softness) and Kime No Kata (historical forms of self defence). Also often practiced by higher grades is the Goshin Jitsu No Kata (forms of modern self defence). Students begin to study the first set (consisting of just three throws) of the five set Nage No Kata in preparation for their SanKyu (green belt) grading. Kata is also a history lesson and a salute to Judo`s jujitsu inspired beginnings. It was Kano`s intention to pay homage to and preserve the techniques handed down from jujitsu by enshrining them in kata. Since kata does not evolve in the same dynamic natural selection driven way that competitive judo tends to, the historical lessons within kata remain preserved as a reference point for today`s and tomorrow`s practitioners. Thus kata provides continuity and some trueness to Judo`s and Kawaishi Jujitsu`s roots without stifling natural evolution.

Shiai
Shiai is competition and is an integral part of Judo. Kawaishi Jujitsu does not in itself include Shiai, thus a student of Kawaishi Jujitsu must indulge in competition in a pure judo setting. Shiai is a match between two players intent on exercising their best abilities and resolve to outskill their opponent. Such matches require that a player is able to demonstrate good character, respect and fine sportsmanship even when under the extreme pressure of contest. The rules of Shiai are applied with uncompromising strictness by referees in the interests of safety, fair play and the higher ideals of judo. Such rules are covered in a later detailed chapter. Students are not encouraged to compete until they demonstrate clear ability to play safely when under pressure and completely understand their responsibility to both themselves and their opponents. Injury to any party in Shiai is failure. Wreckless disregard or an intent to injure is utter disgrace. Judo differs fundamentally from some other combative sports which may have an inbuilt requirement to render an opponent unable to continue. Competition, in the context of Judo is no more than a means by which one`s self and one`s opponent are improved and uplifted by a process of ordeal. Thus, the importance of loss and dealing with and learning from such becomes more important than victory. Shiai therefore is the most difficult aspect of Judo to comprehend in a world where winning often masquarades as a worthy and complete end aim. In judo, the struggle to understand and the struggle to free one`s self from the ego yields results when victory begins to emerge on an occasional basis. Contest is thus simply a milestone which we shall all pass on our journey, not an end goal.